In Times of Need
by Shirahoshi
Summary: Thor and his company find out that they might have needed Loki more, than they would have thought. A collection of short stories.
1. Arrows

Arrows were pouring from the sky like raindrops.

Wooden raindrops with sharp metal objects at the front that would (and could, if it hit the target) pierce through even the strongest metal armour, killing the one who wore it.

Yes, thought Fandrall jumping over a fallen tree, the arrows of the dökkálfar, cloaked in magic, are not to be taken lightly if one wanted to live.

The world suddenly spun around and he found himself lying on the ground in a pool of - something.

Pity. His cloak was brand new.

"Fandrall!" roared Volstagg, and then he was in the air, before being lowered onto the huge man's shoulders.

Sif cursed - how unbecoming of a lady - as an arrow missed her by mere inches.

Thor simply laughed, taunting the archers and commenting on their abilities. He had changed in the three days of his banishment, but some things never change. And the golden prince of Asgard always despised those who fought from the distance, but were completely useless in a close-range fight.

As Fandrall knocked away an arrow with his sword, that otherwise would've hit Volstagg, one thought crossed his mind...

_Where is Loki and his veil of smoke when you need it?_


	2. Sif

"Look, Sif, I told you I didn't mean it!"

The shieldmaid's eyes narrowed.

"Oh, you didn't? Tell me, Thor, which part of "women shouldn't be allowed to fight in wars" didn't you mean?"

"I might have put it in the wrong way, but I assure, you, it wasn't my intention! I meant that women are worse fighters," Sif's glance cut like the sword she was using, " usually, hence they shouldn't fight, for their body is not meant to! They should let us protect them, protect Asgard, those who are capable!"

"And which part makes us incapable to do so? That we are smaller targets, more flexible, or that sometimes we use our minds too? Do I really have to prove myself a worthy warrior again and again, or should I follow Loki's example and release the Bifrost's power on a realm I loathe?"

"The Bifrost has not yet been..." The sentence was finished with a cry of pain, and Thor was crouching on the floor, grabbing his more sensitive areas.

The door slammed behind the swordswoman and Hogun gave Thor a look.

"You've learnt less than I first thought."

The prince groaned and fell onto his side.

-.-.-.-.-.-

"Volstagg. Fandrall."

The two turned at once.

"Thor," said the blonde man, "What a pleasant surprise. To what do we owe your visit?"

"It's rather to who. Sif. She has refused to speak with me for two weeks now."

"Two weeks? Ever since that after two mugs of ale you've felt obligated to express your dissatisfaction concerning the shieldmaidens?"

"Ever since then."

"What does that have to do with us?"

"I need your help."

"Why? You two could make up to each other just fine so far."

"That was... Because of Loki. He used to give me some advice and they worked."

The two warrior glanced at each other.

"And can't you go down into the prison asking him?"

"I already did so. He tried to tear my throat out."

"Oh."

-.-..-aaaa-

_Let's make one thing clear - Loki is back on Asgard, in prison. I forgot to mention that._


	3. Persuading

Waves crashed agains the rock, only a few feet away from them, breaking up into tiny particles of water. Yet, it didn't seem to disturb the small man, standing with his legs apart, arms crossed.

"Please," said Thor. "We just ask you to take us to the other side of this river."

"The river is wide, the current fast, strong and treacherous, with rocks underneath. It'd take an hour and a half to reach the other side and I need to be in Quarth by the morrow. What exactly can you offer me to take you there?"

"We have money," piped in Fandrall.

"I have no need of it."

"A lot of it."

The man's eyes narrowed.

"I said, I have no need of it. The Lord I serve provides me anything I require in exchange for my services."

"But we need to get to the other side somehow..."

"Aye. But not with this ship. Except," he said, looking at Sif, "Except if she is willing to pay the price it'd require."

"Of course she will!" brightened Thor.

"Of course she won't," hissed the shieldmaiden.

"Sif, if he's accepting the gold from you..."

"It's not gold he wants, my friend," spoke Hogun. The prince looked confused for a moment.

"Then what... Oh..."

"Well, what do you say?" asked the captain.

"Just a moment," Volstagg said, the five of them walking slightly further from the man. "We need to get there somehow."

"Yes, but I will not lay with him just for that reason."

"Nobody said you'll have to. We just need to persuade him," said Thor.

"Persuade him how? It's not exactly like we can threaten him, for he knows if he is dead, we won't have a chance to cross the river. And we're not exactly good spinning words in a fashion that'll bring us success."

They all sighed at once.

"Sometimes," Volstagg said, "I wish Loki didn't turn into a power-hungry, revenge-seeking maniac."

"Indeed," agreed Hogun.

-..-ééé-k-

**The realm they're at is the world of the Game of Thrones. Not one of the nine. **


	4. Frogs and Doors

"_Choose a door, _

_But choose wisely,_

_It may be small, old,_

_Narrow or mighty._

_One leads forward,_

_One leads to death,_

_One takes you away,_

_One takes you back._

_Choose now,_

_Accepting your end,_

_Or lay low,_

_But messages you won't send_."

"The last line didn't have anything to do with the rest," said Volstagg wearily.

"Okay, okay, but which is which?" asked the prince, loosing his cool slowly.

"_On the side you won't find what you're looking for,_

_Nor you will in the middle, prince of Agard, Thor._

_And yet there lays the path, hidden by the door._

_Choose the ones in the middle or on the side,_

_and you may yet live,_

_You may find the right,_

_That leads you to Nin._"

"That wasn't much more helpful," growled Fandrall. Sif sighed, burying her head into her hands. She was _sure _they had learnt about "The Frog and the Four Doors" in school; she was just always too occupied with fighting methods and styles to pay attention.

Sure, they could throw the frog into one, but were they lucky (and lately, they were) enough, to find one that leads to death, there would be still two others remaining which would take them the

Norns-know-where.

But one thing she knew - she hated poetic frogs.

-..-a-..-a

**Bear with this one. I'm not much of a poet, especially not in my native language. xD**


	5. Children

The little girl's crying cut into the crispy air like a knife into butter. Thor looked genuinely scared, while Volstagg was glancing around nervously, smiling at the people passing by.

They had only tried to help her - and the moment Hogun touched her she started wailing like one of the siren's of Midgard's houses and shops.

"Sif," said the Thunderer, "Sif, do something."

"Why me?"

"Well... Because you're a woman."

She lifted an eyebrow.

"So?"

"Womans are generally good with children.." The blackhaired female sighed, before crouching down next to the girl.

She was doing that a lot lately. Sighing.

"Hey, sweetie... Would you tell us what's wrong? Are you lost?" The girls stopped for a minute, making Thor brighten up with hope; just before she continued screaming her lungs out while teardrops, big as peas, run down her cheek.

"I don't think that that's how you are supposed to do it..." said Fandrall.

"Oh, really?" snorted the woman. "Please, teach me then, master."

"With pleasure," he said, stepping next to the child. "Now, what could possibly trouble the mind of such a beautiful little lady?"

The volume of her cries slowly reached the height that could be only heard by the bats of Midgard.

"Woah. I bow before your experience."

Fandrall didn't answer.

-..-aa-..ddd-

**What? **

**Loki must be good with children (if not in anything else, making them) - just look at the number of offsprings he has!**

**And there must be children that are scared of Sif, the Warriors Three and Thor, but trust immediately in the god of mischief... **


	6. Maps

Under the rock? Nope.

Behind the bush? Nah. That'd be too easy.

Between the bushes of the tree? Not there, either.

Hogun pushed a bang of loose hair out of his eyes. This labyrint was slowly but surely making him go mad.

"Found it!" yelled Sif.

"And more than probably saved our lives," he said. By then, Thor and the other two warriors were there as well, Volstagg red-faced and panting.

The ancient scroll looked... Well, ancient. Sif held it like it may break in any moment as she slowly opened it. She frowned.

"I can't read it."

"Give it to me," he said, holding out his hand.

He couldn't, either. The language it was written in must've been just as old as the scroll itself. Which was logical, if one thought about it.

"Oh, by Odin's beard," spoke Fandrall. "Go there, they said. You may find your adventure, they said. You just have to find the map, they said. But nobody said that it'll be in a language we cannot read!" he roared towards the sky.

"Hush, it's not like they can hear you," growled Sif, clearly annoyed.

"I'm sorry, Lady Sif, but I do not wish to die here."

"Nobody will die here. We'll find a way out," said Thor.

"Yes, and how? We are in a labyrinth with a scroll of paper that worths nothing!"

"Calm down, my friend. Your anger is brings out the worst of you."

"I say, let's get going," said Volstagg, eyeing the sky, "Let's see if we can find a cover."

"Should we keep it?" asked the shieldmaiden, holding up the map. Thor nodded.

"Yes. Maybe we can figure it out once."

-.-aaa-.-aaa.-

**Actually, they were holding the map upside down... Yes, the language it was written in was old, but not too old to not figure it out in five minutes. xD Since it was the older version of their language. Like today's English and the English they spoke in Shakespeare's era. :D**


	7. Lies and Excuses

Thor hissed as he slowly regained consciousness.

How long was he out? Judging from the pain in his neck, it must have been over an hour in the same position. As he moved his hand, something rattled - oh. Chains.

Wait, he was chained up? How did that happen?

"Good morning, beautiful," said a mildly-cheerful voice. "How was your sleep?"

"Fandrall, where are we?" he groaned, pushing himself up.

"Judging from the moist, stone walls, chains, dirt and smell, I'd say dungeons."

"Sif, Volstagg and Hogun?"

"Here and here," said a tired female voice. "Although the latter two is still sleeping."

"What happened?"

"You mean how could they chain us up? Sleep potions on those small arrows you've pulled from your neck right before you fell like a sack of potatoes."

"Oh," he did remember now. They were passing through the corridors of the castle to find the sword when it must've happened.

He yanked on his chains, but immediately regretted it; the pain that flow through his veins were like fire.

"I wouldn't try that if I were you," spoke Sif, "They're strangely strong and from what I can tell, more than probably they forged magic into them as well."

"Thanks for the warning. What do you think, how long..."

The iron door creaked as it was opened.

"Apparently, not long," commented Fandrall.

The man was tall, taller than the humans they usually met. His eyes were blazing, yet cold as steel at the same time.

"My name is Eldarion, son of Aragorn, Prince of Gondor. Who are you people and why were you breaking into our veapon's vault?"

"My name is Thor son of Odin. He's Fandrall, and that's the Lady Sif," one of the guards muttered something, "The other two are Hogun and Volstagg. As for what we have been doing there... We were looking for the restroom?"

Sif looked like she wanted to bang her head against the wall.

"You were looking for my father's sword, Andúril, the Flame of the West, our most priced treasure."

"No, I swear, we were not! We have only been passing through."

"By accident through the weapon's vault, that is only one level higher than this one."

"Yes. Exactly! You've a big castle, we got lost! We wanted nothing with Andúril. Neither steal it, nor look at it. Just the restroom."

The man raised a black eyebrow.

"What do you mean by restroom?"

"Uh... Well... Where you let out what you have to... Let out?"

"The restroom, as you so fondly call the garderobe, is in the west wing. We're in the eastern."

"Then small wonder we did not found it."

"Other than that, no man call enter either wing without permission, which you don't have. But we have found two guards knocked unconscious."

"Oh."

"I suppose you have, or used to have somebody to do the thinking and come up with excuses. And that somebody was not you. You can't lie to save your life."

Thor hung his head.

-.-.-.-..-aaa-.-ad-a

**Restrooms. (Toilets. WCs. Call it what you want.) Possibly the oldest excuse if somebody is at a place he is not supposed to be at.**

**Other than that... This chapter did not go as planned...**


	8. Fire

"Hey, friends, look what I found!" yelled a happy Volstagg, putting down a big, furry _something _that must have been a boar once.

"Good job! And just in time," said Thor, patting him on the shoulder. "Sif, Hogun, until we skin this fine animal, you should start a fire."

Sif mumbled something, but stood up. It wasn't hard to find dry branches - no rain must've fallen at the place they were for a month at least.

But that seemed to change, if the dark clouds were anything to go by. If they were lucky, they'd held as long as they finished with the meat.

It didn't.

The rain started fallling slowly but surely.

"Sif, did you get the fire going?" asked Thor, bloody up to his elbows.

"I'm trying," she hissed.

"Here. Give me that."

"I can do it!"

"Just let me try."

"Fine! Whatever," the shieldmaiden said, throwing her hands up. Lightning crackled nearby - Fandrall glared the grey sky with some worry.

"I don't really want to hurry you, but I think we should find a shelter before _we_ get roasted."

"What? Scared of a little lightning?" asked the prince playfully.

"No. I'm just not overly fond of the thought of being roasted alive."

"Do not be afraid, my friend - after all _I_ am here with you."

"That wasn't exactly reassuring..." muttered the blonde warrior.

There! It's done!" Thor said happily as the wood caught fire. And it immediately went out, as the rain started falling harder. "Oh..."

"Why don't you just use Mjollnir to cook the meat?" asked Volstagg.

"My hammer shall not be used for such reasons."

-.-.-add-ffda-

**Not a chapter I'm proud of. **

**Yes, Fandrall is scared of natural lightning. If someone sends it at you, you may more-less know where it'll it - but if it happens just randomly, you may not.**

**And I just _had_ to quote from the Avengers... Well, sort of, at least. xD**


End file.
